


tread softly

by wordsmithie



Category: Late Night (2019)
Genre: F/F, Just a whole lotta fluff, it's fluff town
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 18:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21592669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsmithie/pseuds/wordsmithie
Summary: When Molly Patel first walked into their Late Night building Katherine had had no clue. But when Molly walks into the building for the first time a second time Katherine knows the exact second it happens.
Relationships: Katherine Newbury/Molly Patel
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

When Molly Patel first walked into their Late Night building Katherine had had no clue. But when Molly walks into the building for the first time a second time Katherine knows the exact second it happens.

Because she’s watching from the windows, watching like a nervous kid on Christmas morning, watching to see if Santa’s coming. She doesn’t know why. She knows Molly said yes, and that if Mollys says yes she’ll keep her word. But she needs to see it. Needs to see her stepping willingly into the building, with that ridiculous smile that she has that tells everyone just how excited she is. And she does see her, striding up to the building entrance in her heels that are too tall for her, and - yes, she is wearing that ridiculous smile. Katherine shakes her head and goes back to her desk.

* * *

After pacing the length of her office for several minutes she realises there’s nothing for it. She has to go to the writer’s room. 

She keeps up a brisk pace, tries to look sufficiently business-like, and not like someone just barely stopping herself from running to greet a long-lost friend at the airport. When she pushes open the door they all look up at her but it’s only _her_ that Katherine sees. Molly’s face breaks out into that signature grin, her eyes are crinkled, and she stares at Katherine like she’s the second coming. Though really it’s Molly’s second coming.

“Welcome back,” Katherine says, gruff, brusque. It feels like a desperate croak.

“Thanks!” Molly quips back, and Katherine beats a hasty retreat before her own mouth stretches into an answering grin.


	2. Chapter 2

They don’t win the Emmy but all the same it’s something to be one of the shows that’s nominated again. How far the mighty have fallen, she thinks. And how far they’ve risen back up. Her jaw is aching from all the not-fake-smiling. It’s rather irritating to admit but she hasn’t had to fake-smile for seventy (or so) percent of the evening. She’d rather not examine why that is. 

Just like she’d rather not examine too closely the way the shimmering blue dress sits against Molly’s dark skin, nor the way her black hair is coiled into a twist that caresses the nape of her neck whenever she turns her head.

“Hello, Katherine.”

It’s Seth Meyers, looking both scared and delighted in that way only he can.

“Seth.” She nods at him. 

“Allow me to congratulate you on your triumphant return,” he says, tipping his wine glass to her. 

“It’s a surprise to me, too,” she says, with a breath of laughter, but she clinks her glass against his, anyway. “Thank you.” 

“It’s good to see you occupying the stage again with such… energy.”

“Is it?” She peers at him to see if he means it. She can’t really tell. If anything, he just seems frightened, as if he’s ready to bolt. She shifts on her feet, trying to find some position that makes her heels bearable. 

“I can see why she stayed.” 

She follows his gaze to Molly, who’s laughing with Burditt as he shows her something on his phone. Probably pictures of his kid. No - his grandkid. 

“Can you?” she asks. Because sometimes she isn’t certain.

“Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah.” Meyers’ head bobs up and down as if he’s one of those blasted dolls that people have on their cars’ dashboards. “Absolutely. You know, she uh -” he huffs with laughter - “when she came to interview for our show she couldn’t stop talking about you.” 

“Really?” For the first time she turns to look at him directly. 

“Oh, yeah,” he insists, his head bobbing again, downing the rest of his drink. 

* * *

“So, my laugh lights up a room, huh?”

Molly turns, her face sliding into a smile, albeit a puzzled one, as soon as she sees Katherine. 

“What?” 

“My laugh lights up a room.” Katherine looks down, sniffs, then looks up at her again. “It’s like - what was it again? Oh yes, a _thousand_ church bells ringing. According to you, anyhow.” She tilts her head in question. “That’s rather a lot of church bells.”

“Oh.” Molly waves a hand, half-shaking her head. “That’s...No, that’s…”

“Not true?” Katherine asks, lifting her eyebrows.

“No, no,” Molly says, with a more insistent shake of her head. “That’s not what I mean.”

“So it is true?” Katherine doesn’t look away, enjoying the way that Molly is squirming. 

“Well,” Molly looks down, adjusting her hair. “I mean, yeah. I guess so.” She finally looks up, finally has the courage to look into Katherine’s eyes. 

Katherine leans back, eyebrows lifted but this time in knowing satisfaction, and not in query. 

“Yeah, okay, so.” Molly’s eyes dart around and back to Katherine and away and back again. “I’m going to - I think Caroline’s calling me so, yeah, I’m going to go now.” And she hurries away, her dress shimmering under the lights, and Katherine’s laughter trailing behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

The knock on her door makes Molly exclaim in surprise. No one comes to visit her. Not when they have to climb all those stairs. 

She sneezes all the way to the front door. 

“Who -” sneeze - “is it?” She fishes one of the tissues out of her bathrobe pocket and blows her nose. 

“It’s me,” says the low voice. “Let me in.”

She opens the door, unable to hide the surprise. “What are you doing here?” 

Katherine who is leaning against the door jamb straightens. She’s standing there in a dark grey coat with a green suit peeking out from underneath and her hair pushed back in its signature style. She holds up a bag. “Heard you were unwell so I brought supplies.”

Molly stands there with her mouth open.

“I’ll come in, shall I?” She brushes past Molly and heads straight for the kitchen, divesting herself of her coat on the way. “You should rest,” she calls over her shoulder.

Molly shuts the door to her apartment, still in shock and heads to the lounge to curl up on the sofa which she has made her home for the last couple of days. 

“What are you doing here?” she croaks, blowing her nose again. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Katherine’s voice floats from the kitchen, slightly scornful. There are sounds of rustling and clinking to accompany it. 

Molly shakes her head no, too fuzzy-headed to realise that Katherine can’t actually see her. 

Katherine comes to the lounge with a mug of something in her hand which she hands to Molly. 

“Chicken soup,” she says by way of explanation at Molly’s quizzical look. 

Molly “Ah”s in understanding and takes a careful sip. 

“You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

Katherine leans back in the armchair. “I said, isn’t it obvious?”

Molly makes a deadpan face.

“You haven’t been into the office in the last four days.” Katherine shrugs. “So, if the mountain won’t come to Mohammed…”

Molly nods. “Does Mohoammed usually visit his sick employees?”

“You’re trying to carry through the analogy?”

“I’m sick - just work with me here.” Molly is attacked by another conveniently timed sneeze. 

Katherine snorts. “There’s no denying that, that’s for certain.”

“Do the others get this treatment as well?” she asks, taking another sip and peering at Katherine over the steam that rises from the mug. She doesn’t know why the answer is important to her. 

Katherine holds her gaze for a second before looking down to adjust her blazer. “I know you’re alone here - no one’s going to make the four hour trip to this dump to visit you. Or climb all those bloody stairs.”

_ But you did. _ The unspoken words hang in the air. Molly is surprised into silence. 

“Anyway,” Katherine says, slapping the arms of the chair and pushing herself up. “There’s extra chicken soup in the kitchen, along with some lemsip and panadol. I don’t want you taking next week off as well.” She grabs her discarded coat and swishes out of Molly’s apartment without another backward glance. 

Molly smiles into the soup and huddles further into her blankets. 


End file.
